now all i see is you (with fresh eyes)
by CinderellaAtTheBall
Summary: The last time Harry had been in Luna's house, it had been blown to pieces by Death Eaters. He sincerely hoped that there wouldn't be any explosions there tonight.


**now all i see is you (with fresh eyes)**

The last time Harry had been to Luna's house, it had been blown to pieces by Death Eaters. He sincerely hoped that there wouldn't be any explosions there tonight, but what could you expect, really, when Xenophilius was cooking dinner?

He said as much to Luna, who merely laughed and said, "Don't worry, Harry. Daddy's a wonderful cook." She patted his arm as if to reinforce her point, but this didn't make him feel any better.

As they neared the rook-like house, Harry began to sweat a little in the chilly fall air. He turned to his girlfriend and gulped. "You know what, Luna? This was a mistake. How about we just go home and order some takeaway?"

Luna fixed her grey eyes on him. "What are you so afraid of, Harry?"

"I-I don't know how your dad will react to us, you know, being together," Harry confessed, adjusting his glasses in order to avoid her gaze.

Luna laughed. It was a light, musical sound that Harry found some comfort in. "There's no need to worry. He might be a bit shocked at first, but I know he'll be happy for me. He's always wanted me to surround myself with red people."

Harry, who had been in the process of smoothing down his untamable hair, froze. "_Red_ people?"

"Yes. Good people are red, bad people are green. It's all in a person's aura, you know. _Yours_ is quite a lovely shade of red."

"Is it?" he asked, amused but not at all surprised by Luna's beliefs.

"Oh, yes," Luna said, nodding. "Does that make you feel better?"

Harry took her hand and squeezed it. "It does."

...

"Harry!" Xenophilius said, pumping his hand with an iron grip. He was wearing a set of olive robes, and he had a single white flower in his long, scraggly hair. Harry thought he could see the older wizard's Deathly Hallows necklace poking out from under his robes slightly, too. "How wonderful to see you."

"Likewise, sir," Harry said politely, massaging his appendages as soon as Luna's father saw fit to release them. He decided not to comment on the flower. Knowing Xenophilius, it was probably a rare species that improved his sense of smell, or something.

Xenophilius hugged Luna and gave her a kiss on the cheek before turning back to Harry. "Now, I know Luna didn't invite you over simply to listen to me drone on about the Waddling Wrothsnake!"

"No, sir," Harry responded, shooting Luna a nervous look. Luna smiled serenely and placed a hand on Xenophilius' arm.

"Daddy, Harry isn't here as a friend. He's here as my boyfriend."

Harry stood up a little straighter and nodded. Luna's father stared at him for a moment, almost as if he was seeing him for the very first time. He suddenly realized, with some discomfort, that Xenophilius' eyes were swimming with tears. Of all the reactions Harry had anticipated, this hadn't been one of them. He had rather thought the eccentric wizard might refuse to believe the news, or even ignore it in favor of chattering about one of his latest conspiracy theories, but he had never imagined that he might be _upset_ by it.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Lovegood," he said quickly. "I'm sure this is quite a shock, but I can assure you that I love your daughter—"

Xenophilius waved him off. "No, no, dear boy, you misunderstand. I'm merely overcome with joy at this revelation! I remember what it was like to be young and in love. What a time, what a time indeed." He beamed at Luna. "I am ever so happy for you, my beloved daughter."

Luna threw one arm around her father, then used the other to gesture to Harry. "I think this calls for a group hug."

Harry hesitated, then stepped into the three-way embrace. It felt a little odd, sandwiched as he was in between the father-daughter pair, but he was used to odd.

...

By some miracle, Xenophilius managed to cook up a meal that left the house fully intact. Harry ate with gusto, having eaten only a small lunch due to nerves.

"Careful, Harry," Luna said in her usual pleasant way. "I wouldn't want you to be overcome with a case of the hiccups."

Harry nodded and slowed his chewing ever so slightly, but the food was so delicious that he kept bringing forkful after forkful up to his mouth and popping it in. The chicken was incredibly tender, the rice aromatic and flavorful. Luna hadn't been exaggerating her father's cooking abilities one bit.

"A toast," Xenophilius said suddenly, holding up a glass of white wine that Harry was sure hadn't been there a moment before, "to Harry and Luna! May you always love and cherish each other."

Harry raised the glass that had just appeared at his place. "Cheers, Mr. Lovegood."

"Cheers," Luna chimed in dreamily. The three clinked their glasses together and drank.

As Xenophilius wandered off to "see a man about a hippogriff," Harry reached for Luna's hand once more, and a pleasant warmth spread through him at the contact.

"I think it's going well, Luna," he whispered.

Her smile was radiant as she replied, "I would certainly say so. You should see your aura right now, Harry. It's the brightest it's ever been."

"I suppose that's because I'm really happy," Harry said softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Your dad's acceptance of me means more than I can say."

...

"Did you have a nice time tonight, Harry?" Luna asked. The pair had returned to their shared flat and were preparing to go to bed.

Harry paused in the middle of slipping on an old t-shirt. "Yeah, I did." He finished tugging the fabric over his head. "Your dad is an amazing cook."

"He's had lots of practice," Luna nodded. "After Mum died, he naturally took over the cooking. I helped, of course, when I could, but I think it was beneficial for him. I think it helped him feel closer to her."

"That makes sense." Harry sank onto the bed and smiled at her. She was brushing out her hair, which was something she did every night. He loved watching her carefully work through the tangles, her fingers nimbly separating the fine strands. She was always so patient, so thoughtful — much like she was with him. The simple act served as a reminder of how lucky he was to have her in his life, strange beliefs and all.

Luna looked over at him. "You have the most blissful expression on your face right now," she commented, pulling the brush through her locks one final time.

"Do I?" Harry patted the bed. When she climbed onto it, he pulled her into his arms and dropped a kiss into her hair. "I guess I probably do." He squinted at her. "Hang on. You've got this, like, fuzzy light around you..."

Luna's eyes widened. "Is it a reddish color?"

"Erm..." He peered down at her again and found that the mystical glow had changed colors. "It started out kind of a dark reddish brown, like a rusty red, but it's brighter now."

"That's my aura," Luna said happily. "Oh, I just knew you'd be able to see it!"

Harry leaned over and brought their lips together in a gentle kiss. "You are a remarkable person, Luna Lovegood."

Her resulting laugh seemed even more beautiful than usual, though Harry couldn't say how, or why. "I could say the same about you, Harry Potter."

* * *

Word count: 1,253


End file.
